League prize fund cut

CLOSER to home, reality bites. The prize fund for the new Airtricity League, which kicked off last night, is down from last year when it broke the domestic game’s million euro barrier for the first time.

This year’s total, including €50,000 for live television rights, is €911,000, with the winners of the Premier Division set to pick up €200,000, a significant drop from the €280,000 which Bohemians received for winning the League of Ireland last season. In the First Division, the winners will receive €50,000, down €11,000 from last year.

Accentuating the positive, the FAI – which only announced details of the prize fund on the opening day of the season – said that, despite a 25% reduction in budgeted wage costs at clubs, this year’s prize fund would “maintain much of the increase that was made in 2009.”